Skip to content

Paint with Light

CJ Chilvers
CJ Chilvers
— 1 min read

I have no idea if painting eases your anxiety, because I have no experience in painting. But I can recommend taking up photography as a hobby. It’s such an effective anxiety killer, some people simply cannot live without it.

Think about what you’re doing when you’re photographing for the fun/art/experience of it.

  1. You’re studying light.
  2. You’re studying the environment.
  3. You’re studying expressions.
  4. You’re focused. You’re focusing.
  5. You’re composing and approaching the present moment from multiple angles and techniques.
  6. You may be envisioning a scene in black and white, infrared, and a dozen different color palettes.
  7. You could be in a new place, or surrounded by new people.
  8. You could be in a breathtakingly beautiful place you’d never visit if not for photography.
  9. You’re placing creation over consumption.

The point is you’re present and focused in way you can’t be in normal life. Photography strips away the distraction-laden veneer of the modern world if you let it.